The ancient ship and its cargo are estimated to date to the 13th century BC, making it one of the oldest shipwrecks ever discovered.
Canaanite amphorae discovered in a 3,300-year-old shipwreck. Image courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The 3,300-year-old shipwreck was discovered 90 kilometers (56 miles) off the coast of Israel, on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles).
“The ship appears to have sunk due to a storm or an attempted pirate attack,” said Dr Jacob Sharvit, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s maritime department.
“This is the first ship ever found in the deep waters of the eastern Mediterranean, 90 kilometres from the nearest coast, and also the oldest.”
“This is a history-changing discovery of global scale. It sheds light like never before on the navigational skills of ancient sailors who were able to cross the Mediterranean without ever seeing the coast. From this geographical point, all you can see is the horizon.”
“It seems likely that celestial objects were used to navigate by observing the positions and angles of the sun and stars.”
The discovery was made by a team from Energene, a London-based natural gas producer, during an environmental survey of the seabed.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to discover and extract natural gas from the deep sea, we are carrying out surveys to check various parameters using advanced submersible robots to explore the seabed,” said Dr Karnit Bahartan, head of Energean’s environmental staff.
“About a year ago, while surveying, we came across an unusual sight: a large pile of water jugs on the seabed.”
“We have been in constant contact with the Israel Antiquities Authority and when we sent them the images, it turned out to be a sensational find, far beyond our imagination.”
A 3,300-year-old shipwreck on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Image courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“Robotic investigation and mapping of the site revealed that the ship was a wreck approximately 12-14 metres (39-46 feet) long and was carrying hundreds of passengers. Late Bronze Age Canaanite storage vesselsOnly a small fraction of it is visible above the ocean floor,” Dr Sharbit said.
“There appears to be a second level of ship hidden in the muddy bottom, with the wooden beams of the ship also buried in the mud.”
“The type of vessel identified in the shipment was designed as the most efficient means of transporting relatively cheap, mass-produced products, such as oil, wine, and agricultural products such as fruit.”
“The discovery of such a large number of amphorae on a single ship attests to important commercial links between their country of origin and the ancient Near Eastern countries along the Mediterranean coast.”
“This is a truly stunning discovery. There are only two other known cargo-laden shipwrecks from the Late Bronze Age in the Mediterranean – the Cape Gelidnja ship and the Uluburun ship, both found off the coast of Turkey.”
“But both wrecks were found relatively close to shore and were accessible using standard diving equipment.”
“Based on these two discoveries, the previous academic hypothesis was that trade at that time was carried out by flying safely from port to port, keeping eye contact along the coastline.”
“The discovery of this ship completely changes our understanding of the capabilities of ancient seafarers. It is the first time that a ship has been found so far away that land is completely out of sight.”
“There is great potential for research here. Because the ship has been preserved at great depth, time has stopped since the moment of the disaster. The hull and the surrounding conditions have not been disturbed by human hands (divers, fishermen, etc.), nor have they been subject to the waves and currents that affect shipwrecks in shallow waters.”
“The significance of these discoveries has led to the decision to open the archaeological campus for ‘tasting’ tours this summer, to display these Canaanite ships excavated from the seabed and to tell the public their story,” said Dr. Eli Eskseed, Director General of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“This visit will allow visitors to get a glimpse of this unique building, its mosaics and laboratories ahead of the official opening of the vast visitor centre, scheduled for two years from today.”
“We are extremely grateful to Energiaan for their swift response in identifying this ancient cargo and for committing resources to enable this initial understanding to be gained from this unusual shipwreck.”
Source: www.sci.news
